The New Orleans Pelicans are heading into Thursday night’s NBA draft with no selection in the first or second rounds for the first time in 12 years. But that could change if the Pelicans are able to find a willing trade partner.

According to Pelicans coach Monty Williams, they have actively pursued options to get back in the NBA draft after surrendering their first-round pick to the Philadelphia 76ers that was part of last year's draft night trade.

''If there's an opportunity to get in the draft, we're going to look at it,'' Williams said. ''The one thing we don't want to do is be aggressive and put ourselves in a position to where we're hamstrung for awhile and can't make moves for the future.

''But our focus has been on the moves we think we can make, whether it be in the draft or free agency.We watched a lot of film and have had a lot of discussions with (general manager) Dell (Demps) and his group about what we can do to help our team.''

Williams speculated that various trade discussion among teams is likely to pick up heading into Thursday night. The Pelicans, along with the Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors, are the only teams without a selection in either round of the draft that is considered to be one of the deepest in several years.

According to league sources, the Pelicans are still having conversations with several teams about trying to trade into the first round to select a center or small forward, their two greatest need areas.

One internet report speculated over the weekend the Pelicans have had conversations with the Sacramento Kings to secure their eighth overall pick in the first round in exchange for starting point guard Jrue Holiday.

But a league source confirmed Tuesday afternoon that Holiday has not been included in any trade discussions by the Pelicans to secure a draft pick.

Holiday's season ended on Jan. 10 after he was diagnosed with having a stress fracture in his right tibia that required surgery. Despite playing in only 34 games, Holiday averaged 14.3 points and 7.9 assists last season.

If the Pelicans look to make a deal to get back in the draft, it likely would be with one of the seven teams holding multiple picks in the first round. Those teams are the Utah Jazz, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Philadelphia 76ers.

Remarkably, the Phoenix Suns have three first-round picks at 14, 18 and 27.

The Chicago Bulls, who hold the 16th and 19th overall selections in the first round, have active trade discussions to either move up in the draft or acquire a veteran scoring threat in exchange for one or both of their picks.

''I'm never going to speak on speculation, that just creates more speculation,'' Williams said when asked if the Pelicans are aggressively exploring any trade deals to secure a pick.

''Whether we're aggressive - I think everybody is aggressive. I think every team in the NBA is aggressive right now. They may say they're not, but they are . . . so we're no different. We have guys that teams want.''

Potential players the Pelicans could be interested in if they were to land a first-round pick, include Creighton's small forward Doug McDermott, Duke's Rodney Hood and Wichita State's Cleanthony Early.

The Pelicans are in their current predicament without a first-round pick because of last year’s draft-night gamble. The Pelicans sent center Nerlens Noel, the sixth overall pick in the first round, along with their 2014 pick (protected 1-5) in exchange for Holiday and point guard Pierre Jackson, who was the 76ers' second-round pick.

With the Pelicans finishing 10th in the NBA draft lottery, the Philadelphia 76ers secured their first-round pick.

Now, Jackson is a possible trade piece for the Pelicans, although he didn't play in the NBA last season. The Pelicans still hold Jackson's rights and he excelled in the NBA Development League and in Europe last season.

The Pelicans also can still use forward Melvin Ely's non-guaranteed contract option, which is valued up to $2.2 million, in a trade package with a team like the Bulls that could be looking for expiring contracts to make a push at trying to sign Carmelo Anthony or LeBron James, both of whom have opted out of their contracts and will become unrestricted free agents on July 1.

The Pelicans also could explore trading shooting guard Eric Gordon, although it appears unlikely because of his $14.2 million salary for next season. But Gordon could decide to opt out of his contract next summer.

''We have some opportunities that may come up,'' Williams said. ''I think activities are going to pick up in the next few days and even after the draft. Once teams figure out what they couldn't get in the draft, free agency becomes that more important.''